LSU Evacuation Still in Effect After Bomb Threat
Louisiana State University (LSU) officials is investigating a bomb threat reported earlier today and has asked about 30,000 people on campus to "evacuate as calmly and quickly as possible." A reporter of the school's student paper also saw trucks carrying liquid nitrogen enter campus after the bomb threat was announced.
The latest update posted at 3:24 pm on the LSU website says that the university is still investigating the LSU bomb threat made and instructs all faculty, staff and students to "please stayoff campus unless otherwise directed to return."
On the LSU Facebook page, officials said, "Campus buildings are currently being searched by LSU personnel with support of law enforcement. Buildings deemed ready to return to normal operations will be determined on a building-by-building basis."
Campus authorities did not identify a specific location in danger but said the bomb threat was reported to the "parish 11" or East Baton Rouge Parish 911 call center this morning.
The "bomb threat toward campus" was called in around 10:30 a.m., reported Capt Corey Lalonde of the LSU police department.
The first announcement was posted on the LSU website at 11:32 a.m. today informing the campus community of the bomb threat and evacuation.
LSU has cancelled all classes and campus events for the day as LSU police and other law enforcement agencies continue their investigation. Police has not released details about the reported bomb threat.
The Daily Reveille, the school's student-run paper, reported that one of its reporters "saw trucks carrying liquid nitrogen tanks being driven through campus shortly after the threat was announced and students started evacuating. Liquid nitrogen could be used to deactivate certain types of bombs."
Several LSU students were in the middle of class or studying when they learned of the bomb threat and evacuation via a mass text from the University's emergency alert system.
Biology freshman Hunter Tadlock told the Reveille that she was in the library when a student stood up and announced the situation to everyone.
"It was kinda crazy," she said. "You hope it's not real but it was scary."
The University of Texas at Austin and North Dakota State University also evacuated their students on Friday due to bomb threats. After an investigation, authorities found there were no explosives.
Anyone with information on the bomb threat at LSU should call the LSU PD at 225-578-3231.
Updates on LSU Bomb Threat can be found on the university website.